As tensions
continue between India and neighbouring China, the latter is set to supply four
armed drones to Pakistan, seemingly to protect the China-Pakistan Economic
Corridor and the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s new base at Gwadar port,
according to a Hindustan Times report.

The supply
of two systems comes ahead of Beijing’s plan to jointly produce 48 GJ-2 drones,
the military version of Wing Loong II, designed in China for use by Pakistan’s
air force.

China has already been selling the reconnaissance and strike drone Wing Loong II to
several countries in Asia and West Asia and emerged as the largest exporter of
armed drones.

According to
the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) arms transfer
database, China had delivered 163 UAVs to a dozen countries including
Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Algeria, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates from
2008 to 2018.

China’s attack drone, said to be armed
with 12 air-to-surface missiles, are currently being used by UAE-backed forces
in Libya against the Turkish-backed government in Tripoli with limited success.

China and
India were engaged a violent standoff at Galwan Valley, Ladakh last month,
where 20 Indian soldiers got martyred.

Meanwhile, The Indian Navy has been
negotiating with the US for MQ-9 Reaper, its unarmed naval variant. The armed
remotely piloted aircraft is battle-proven in the Iraq, Afghanistan and Syrian
theatres with the capability of carrying four Hell-Fire missiles and two 500
pounds of laser-guided bombs.